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POI Name: (Name of your entry after checking the naming stipulations listed here. Please use English when possible!)

Game map search ref: (Provide the exact procedural name of the POI you discovered - if its a nebula choose a system within the nebula to act as its reference location. If it covers a larger area, please choose a single system, such as the center)

Description: (Write a short description of what you found. This will be read by other people! Please write in third person and avoid using "I" or "we". Describe the object as if the person reading it doesn't know you.)

Screenshot reference: (Provide the post # or link of where your screenshot or video of your POI can be found - it is a big help if you provide the image resized or cropped to a with of 640 pixels. If this is not possible for you just submit the image anyways and we will do it for you. But it does save us a lot of time if you have done it yourself)

Writing Great Object Descriptions

Baton recently wrote in one of his submissions: "I tried hard, but I know very little about astronomy and cannot put a reasonable description, I can get to places, take decent photo and find geysers, can anyone help and write some description please? "

Since this seems to be a common issue for people, I'd like to provide some tips for Writing Awesome Object Descriptions:

When submitting a new object for submission to the Galactic Mapping Project, an excellent description really helps make the submission shine. Almost all of what other people will know about the thing you've submitted is what you write about it! There are a few things you can do to make high-quality descriptions.

1) Write in third-person

Describe the object, not your personal experience or feelings on the object. Do not use "I" or "me" words! If you need to describe feelings or emotions, take yourself out of them.

Bad example: "I thought this nebula looked amazing from the third planet."Good example: "Amazing views of the nebula can be found on the third planet."

2) Use science - but good science

Elite Dangerous is a game based in the real world, and is populated with many objects from the real world, all based on the science of astronomy. Using astronomy is an excellent way to improve your description of the object. If you do this, do try to make sure you don't invent things! Use only what you're confident is correct science. Directly using quotes from other sources is a good way to do that.

Bad example: "This B-class star has a 6 solar masses so is unusually large".
Good example: "This B-class star has over 30 solar masses, which is unusually large for this type of star".

There are hundreds billions of stars in the galaxy, even more planets, and at least thousands of planetary nebula and regular nebula. What makes this one different from all the other ones? Here are a few things you can focus on to describe why it is unique:

Bad example: "A black hole inside a nebula, with several planets". (This is not unique, or very exciting).Good example: "An unusually light black hole of only one-tenth stellar mass is found at the center of this vivid blue-green nebula. Ringed gas giants provide a scenic back drop for visitors looking for good pictures."

Putting It Together

Here are some recent examples of excellent descriptions on submissions:

From roboteconomist: "First discovered by William Herschel in 1784, NGC 7662 (also known as the Blue Snowball) is a relatively easy to observe planetary nebula that has been popular with casual astronomers for nearly 1,500 years. Originally believed to be only 0.3 light years in diameter and 1,800 light years away from Sol, astronomical surveys in the 20th Century determined that it was more than twice as large and distant. In addition to the Wolf-Rayet star at its core, the nebula also features Class V and Class IV gas giants -- with a metal-rich moon orbiting the Class IV giant -- and a ringed lava world.

The nebula is in an area with low star density more than 1,600 light years below the galactic plane and, consequently, is only accessible via a neutron star-aided jump from PREIA EOCK KU-M D8-0 using a ship with a jump range of 62 light years or more -- and even then, it is currently a one-way trip."

From Deathbane: "Located in the Far 3kpc Arm, and only approximately 770 light years from the 'Dance of Cerberus' system, this stunning, extremely luminous purple blue nebula is worth a visit for the amazing view of its dominant, central black hole. The system also sports a Type G Star around which no less than seven planets orbit. Three of these are terraforming candidates - one of them being a water world with suspected carbon based life already present. Several of the planets show evidence of having surface deposits of yttrium, and there is also evidence of surface volcanism that requires further study. It is thought that this system is a brother to the black hole being of the same age (256 million years~) - one stars death breathing life into another.

This system was marked on universal cartographics by several commanders, first being discovered by CMDR Henk and CMDR Big Bad Lynx. The system however remained neglected from a full survey, until it was completed by CMDR Deathbane and CMDR Zweistein on the return leg of the Mercury 7 Expedition."

From Hawkflight: "An amazing, yet dangerous system, Ghadamon consists of five black holes and a neutron star in a delicate dance, including a particularly massive black hole weighing in at over 13 solar masses. This system is dangerous to navigate, as the black holes are difficult to see, causing pilots to have to rely on navigational instruments. This fascinating system also includes a planet with several moons, all of which can be touched down upon and include numerous particularly rare resources, including Tin, Tellurium, Molybdenum, Niobium, and Ruthenium, in addition to all of the necessary Jumponium materials. Be warned, however, that the central landable planet has a gravity of 2.86G, making it difficult to land upon."

--
Finally, if you need help with writing a good description, feel free to post here and ask for help!

because of events that took place there, eg. an SRV race or an expedition meet-up

because of it being located in an unusual or hard to reach location

because it is a particularly beautiful spot (though perhabs not that rare, when measured on object types alone)

An aspect of the Galactic Mapping Project is also that it is about sharing our individual stories of discovery with one another. As such it is hard to make entirely objective criteria for a noteworthy POI. If you can tell a really interesting or compelling story about a place, it might be worth adding, even if it is not all that unusual at face value.

Desc: "Stock 1 is an open cluster in the constellation Vulpecula. The Stock 1 cluster contains 33 named stars over 100 light years, bounded by HD 338562 and HD 185242.

The cluster contains mostly A-class stars with a few B-, F- and G-class stars. The reference system HD 338660 contains an unusual G-class giant with an earth-like world. HD 338562 is a fantastic spot for gas giant scientists, having no less than 2 helium-rich giants, 2 water giants, and 2 different life bearing giants (water and ammonia types).

The cluster was originally identified by Jurgen Stock in 1956. Stock was an influential astronomer in Latin America during the 1960s, and a director for the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory."

Desc: Just one jump away from nearby PHLEEDGOEA AA-A H108 nebula there is newly discovered site with silicate vapour geysers. At night this small magma spots look very similar to the stars above them, hence the name. Both day and night the site offers exeptional view on the nebula itself. Head for rocky world 1 B A and the coordinates are -63.62 179.50

If anyone wants to have a go at the nebula, here is the photo. I was planning to name it the Devil's Mask because of the shape, but failed with a description of it, for me seems fairly typical, found inside one eartlike with a moon, but don't think that makes it special enough

Name: Fireshadow
Search ref: Qauthai PX-U e2-0
Type: Planetary Features
Description: A ringed lavaworld in the desolate Silentium region. Some beautiful and interesting views can be experienced by hunting the sunrise along the rings on the nightside of the planet.

While ringed lavaworlds are not that rare, this particular planet was a sight for sore eyes for the explorer that first encountered it - and a reminder that even in regions devoid of nebuale, some color and beauty can be found.

Name: Furthest Fireflies
Search ref: Byoo Chraei AA-A f0
Type: Stellar Features
Description: This system contains a bright violet O-star and nine T-Tauri type stars of various colors. When viewed from a distance they look like multicolored fireflies.

Byoo Chraei AA-A F0 A is the furthest O-type star so far discovered out in the Sagittarius-Carina Arm.

Name: Silent Raindrops
Search ref: Qauthe ON-B d13-2
Type: Planetary Features
Description: Four Water Worlds can be found in this Silentium system, with three of them also being terraform candidates.

Even with four life-bearing worlds in one system, the loneliness and remoteness of the region encroaches. Each of them appear so small against the backdrop of galaxy. Like silent raindrops echoing in the wells of silence...

Description: The Teleki Carina Neuron Belt is a 'string' of neutron star systems stretching for more than 3000 LY along the Sagittarius-Carina Arm. These neutron star systems are in relatively close proximity to each other - given the location near the galactic rim where these stars are much more uncommon than closer to the core. The systems are located very close to the galactic plane, with most systems found between 0 and 200 LY below the plane. This sets them apart from the Neutron Fields found closer to the galactic core, where most neutrons are found more than 1000 LY above and below the galactic plane.

A survey undertaken by the Sagittarius-Carina Mission, suggests that The Neutron Belt might be a part of a larger galactic superstructure of neutron stars. In the Sagittarius-Carina Arm this superstructure starts with the disperse neutron stars furthest out in the Silentium region, continues via the Teleki Carina Neutron Belt and progresses further into the Viatori Patuit region in other (so far uncharted) neutron belts. It is unclear if (and how) this 'belt' superstructure located within the central part of the galactic arm, transitions into the neutron fields found closer to the core. It is also unconfirmed at this time if similar neutron superstructures can be found in the other spiral arms of the galaxy.

Desc: "Deneb, also designated Alpha Cygni, is the brightest star in the constellation of Cygnus. Deneb lies at one vertex of a widely spaced asterism called the Summer Triangle, the other two members of which are the zero-magnitude stars Vega in the constellation Lyra and Altair in Aquila. The traditional name Deneb is derived from dhaneb, Arabic for "tail", from the phrase Dhanab ad-Dajājah, or "tail of the hen".

It is the 19th brightest star in the night sky of Earth, with an apparent magnitude of 1.25. A blue-white supergiant, Deneb is also one of the most luminous stars. Since 1943, its spectrum has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. It is the prototype of a class of variable stars known as Alpha Cygni variables. Its surface undergoes non-radial fluctuations which cause its brightness to vary by up to 0.15 magnitude with no clear periodicity, and the spectral type to change slightly.

As of 3303, Deneb has a mass of only 1.66 solar masses and a radius 116 times that of Sol. These values are significantly less than earlier observations which had estimated 19 solar masses and a radius of 203 times that of Sol. The Deneb system is bare, consisting of only a hot metal-rich world and rocky body suitable for landing."

Updated:
- The Wepaa Black Hole Fields -> Wepaa Stellar Graveyard (type changed to Star Cluster since it covers several systems)
- Beetle Burial Grounds (type changed to Star Cluster since it covers several systems)
- Sunny Side Up
- Teleki Carina Neutron Belt
- Mariana <- due to new records
- Venture's Reach <- due to new records
- Eminentem Sidus <- due to new records
- Summit <- due to new records

Pending:
- Hazardous Naucrate (post #1654) - need more info. Three BH and a NS is not that unusual for that distance from the core. Also 30 solar masses is not unusually high for a BH (Elite Galaxy Online lists more than 300 with higher mass than this).

Not Added:
- Xydhroz's Hope <- Not that unusual

Removed:
- Fracta Lancea <- Turns out the feature described (an alignment of stars) was only temporary.

Desc: "VV Cephei is a stellar mystery, one star missing an another star greatly changed. In the 20th century astronomers observed VV Cepehi as an eclisping binary pair of a red supergiant and a blue-white dwarf companion star. The pair had one of the longest known eclipsing cycles, lasting over 20 years. Based on data from this pair, the red supergiant was determined to have over 1000 solar radii and making it one of the largest known stars by radii.

After the invention of frameshift drive, exploration of the VV Cephei pair stunned astrophysicists. The blue-white companion was entirely absent, and the red supergiant was only 318 solar radii. Did astronomers miss a cataclysmic event, or had their observations been wrong for so long? Theories are being hastily reviewed.

The current VV Cephei has only 0.33 solar masses, which gives it over 958 solar radii per solar mass and making it one of the least dense stars known. The only other bodies are three high-metal content worlds."

Did astronomers miss a cataclysmic event, or had their observations been wrong for so long? Theories are being hastily reviewed.

Is it worth explicitly mentioning the 1,200-1,300 year gap between 20th century observations and FSD enabled local observations? Without that you could read this as C20 earth bound astronomers not paying attention if you're not paying attention yourself...

Is it worth explicitly mentioning the 1,200-1,300 year gap between 20th century observations and FSD enabled local observations? Without that you could read this as C20 earth bound astronomers not paying attention if you're not paying attention yourself...

Desc Update: "The Cave Nebula (also known as Sharpless 155) is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Cepheus. It is widely known as the Cave Nebula, though that name was applied earlier to Ced 201, a different nebula in Cepheus. The nebula is composed of ionized atomic hydrogen, also called an H II region. The nebula was first noted as a galactic emission nebula in 1959 in the extended second edition of the Sharpless catalogue. The name "Cave Nebula" was coined for this object by Patrick Moore, presumably derived from photographic images showing a curved arc of emission nebulosity corresponding to a cave mouth.

The nebula is 35 ly in diameter and of muted rust and green colors. The nebula is mostly empty of systems, with a few on the outer edges. Cave Nebula is close to the Elephant's Trunk nebula, and both can be observed together in the right locations. "

Desc: "The Little Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 76, NGC 650/651, the Barbell Nebula, or the Cork Nebula) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included in Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects as number 76. It was first recognized as a planetary nebula in 1918 by the astronomer Heber Doust Curtis.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula derives its common name from its resemblance to the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula. It was originally thought to consist of two separate emission nebulae and was thus given two catalog numbers in the NGC 650 and 651. William Herschel in 1787 noticed that the nebula consisted of two brighter regions slightly separated by a fainter middle, hence the NGC assignment of two numbers to the object. Some consider this object to be one of the faintest and hardest to see objects in Messier's list.

The nebula appears to be the result of stellar material being ejected from the host O-class star. At 108,728 Kelvin it is similar to a Wolf-Rayet star, but with over 110 solar masses. The system also has 10 smaller stellar bodies from L-class up to K-class, plus gas giants and rocky bodies. The diffuse blues and pinks of the nebula are best seen from the dark side of one of the landable rocky planets."

Initially discovered by CMDRs Redfox and Felina Hawk, this nebula gets its name from its color -- a brilliant cyan nebula with striking red splotches. Upon dropping from hyperspace at the system's central Neutron star, the nebula's colors are not immediately apparent. However, as one moves away from the central star, passing by three Class-Y stars, four Class III gas giants, and one Class II gas giant, the nebula's striking colors quickly become apparent. Most of the stars and gas giants are ringed, and all but one contain multiple landable moons, including The Scarred Planet, which is a great place from which to observe the nebula.

Screenshot Reference:

Name:

The Scarred Planet*

GalMap Search Ref:

Byoomai UU-X e1-875

Description:

Initially discovered by CMDR Felina Hawk, this moon is located in the Hemoglobin Nebula, near the first orbiting body in the system. This planet is named for is singular striking feature -- deep gashes in the ground that reveal a deep red color, forming brilliant red canyons that mirror the surrounding nebula. These canyons are perfect for deep-canyon racing, or just taking in the nebula. Sensor scans indicate the presence of silicate vapor geysers; however, if they do exist, they have yet to be located.

Screenshot Reference:

*To my great embarrassment, I was unable to come up with a better name for this moon. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to suggest them to me, either here or via PM.

Regarding nebulae: please supply the name of a system within the nebula.

Regarding lack of description or help with names: just do your best, and we will add the final spice as we process your entry.

Great work everyone

Perhabs it is just my knowledge of H.P. Lovecraft' Cthulhu Mythos, but the images of those red and bloated black holes really freaked me out . But then the amazing geyser sites with thousands of fires cheered me up again